Ph.D. Position Available for Fall 2027 Admission
Prof. Sai Wing TSANG in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), is seeking to recruit 1-2 Ph.D. student for September 2027 admission. The research direction will focus on Optoelectronic processes in organic semiconductors.The group currently has 4 Ph.D. students and maintains a relatively small group size, allowing students to have more direct interaction with the supervisor and receive individualized research guidance. We believe that the Ph.D. experience is not only about completing several research projects, but more importantly about developing the ability to identify, analyze, and solve scientific problems independently. If you are looking for systematic, in-depth, and personalized research training during your Ph.D., this would be an excellent environment.
Ph.D. Duration and Financial Support
The successful candidate is expected to begin the Ph.D. program in September 2027.
- Duration: 4 years
- Monthly studentship: approximately HKD 19,600 / month
- Location: City University of Hong Kong
Research Direction
The project will investigate the fundamental physical and chemical processes in organic semiconductor materials under photoexcitation, applied electric fields, and device operating conditions. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Exciton formation and dissociation - Charge recombination and transport
- Effects of dipole moment and polarizability changes on optoelectronic processes
- Influence of molecular packing and donor–acceptor interactions on optoelectronic processes
- Microscopic mechanisms in organic photovoltaics, organic light-emitting devices, and other related organic optoelectronic systems
Electroabsorption (EA) spectroscopy will serve as the core research technique in this project. EA spectroscopy is highly sensitive to changes in optical absorption under an applied electric field and can be used to probe excitonic effects, charge-transfer states, local electric fields, and photoelectric conversion processes in organic optoelectronic materials.
The project may also involve:
- Transient Absorption Spectroscopy, TAS;
- Two-Photon Photoelectron Spectroscopy, 2PPE;
- Ultralow-temperature optical/electrical experiments;
- Steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy;
- Fabrication and characterization of organic optoelectronic devices.
Candidate Background
Applicants with the following backgrounds or interests are encouraged to apply:
- A background in materials science, physics, chemistry, optics, electronic engineering, energy materials, or related fields
- Strong interest in organic optoelectronic materials, organic semiconductors, spectroscopy, photophysics, or optoelectronic device physics.
- Solid foundation in theoretical physics, such as quantum mechanics, solid-state physics, semiconductor physics, optics, and electromagnetism.
- Prior experience in spectroscopy, optoelectronic device fabrication, low-temperature experiments, or data analysis is preferred.
- Strong self-learning ability, research motivation, and English reading and writing skills.
Prior experience with EA spectroscopy is not required. We value the applicant’s academic foundation, research interest, learning ability, and research potential.
Application
Interested applicants are encouraged to send the following materials to Prof. Tsang by email: saitsang@cityu.edu.hk: Cover letter, Curriculum vitae (CV), 2–3 recommendation letters. Please use the following email subject line: Ph.D. application_name.
We welcome motivated students interested in EA spectroscopy, photophysics, and optoelectronic device physics to join the Tsang Group and explore the fundamental interactions between light and electricity in organic materials.